Internships

PENN HEALTHX
MEDICAL STUDENT INTERNSHIP AWARD

The Penn HealthX Medical Student Internship Award provides University of Pennsylvania medical students with funding to pursue summer opportunities in the fields of healthcare management, entrepreneurship, and technology. The objective of this grant is to to enrich the medical education experience by financially supporting projects that students would not otherwise encounter or be able to fund, for example unpaid or underpaid summer internships at startup companies. Recipients are eligible for up to $1,500 in funding and recipients of the award will be required to present their work in the fall at the annual HealthX conference.

ELIGIBILITY

  • Only University of Pennsylvania medical students are eligible to apply.

  • Students applying for an award may not be on the founding team of the startup. Student founders can apply to the Penn HealthX Venture Fund.

  • Students must be able to justify why the internship cannot otherwise be funded or why current funding is insufficient.

  • Students must be interning full time for at least 6 weeks during the summer.

  • Students may not work remotely/virtually.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants are required to submit the following documents:

  • Project description, including student’s role, time commitment, and what the student hopes to gain from the internship (750 words).

  • Explanation of why the student cannot otherwise fund this project or why current funding is insufficient (100 words).

  • Applicant’s resume

  • Confirmation from advisor of student’s participation, funding status, and advisor’s level of involvement (brief email is sufficient).

EVALUATION CRITERIA

  • Relevance of internship to healthcare management, entrepreneurship, or technology.

  • The degree to which the internship will develop/hone the student’s skills in healthcare management, entrepreneurship, or technology. Preference will be given to students with more independence in their work.

  • Uniqueness of the project compared to the “typical” medical student summer. Preference will be given to students working outside of research labs, but innovative lab-based projects can still receive awards.

  • Student and internship meet all of the eligibility requirements.

  • Review process: Applications are not reviewed on a rolling basis. The selection committee will review all applications after the deadline. Students will be notified if they will or will not receive an award. Students can generally expect to receive an email notification sometime in the two to three weeks following the application deadline.

FAQ

How do I find an internship at a startup?

Students can sign up for the Healthx listserv on our website; we will occasionally send out internship opportunities.We encourage you to reach out to past HealthX speakers or awardees for possible opportunities.

Does having a paid or unpaid internship increase my chances of receiving an award or the amount I could receive?

Students are encouraged to negotiate the highest level of compensation possible from the company, while keeping in mind that startup internships may not offer as much compensation as those at more established companies. Students should not consider this award a substitute for negotiating a salary

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